UEFA Champions League 2020: Who to Choose and Who to Lose
Are you ready for the Champions League knockout stages? As we are about to go headfirst into one of the closest-fought football contests in recent years. Games will resume on August the 5th and we are expecting a very exciting finale to the European football season.
This year the Champions League is being played in Lisbon in empty stadiums. Though it’s hoped that towards the finals, restrictions may have been lifted with some fans being allowed entry to watch the matches play out.
Betting odds this year are a little different too, and when backing a team or player it’s worth bearing in mind that due to the Covid crisis some have had long amounts of time off the game. A representative of the expert casino and gambling review site Labslots stated that they expect betting to surge again following the revival of the football seasons.
“The off-season due to Covid-19 witnessed a black hole in sports betting. When professional football seasons were halted worldwide, many punters flocked to online casinos and slot sites in order to spice up their days. Now the football season is back, bookies are expecting a surge in football bets.” (Source: https://labslots.com/)
Did you know?
- 2019 was a landmark year for the league with 2 English teams going head to head against each other for only the 7th time ever. This was also the first year since 2013 that there wasn’t a Spanish team in the final.
- Dutch player Roy Makkay scored the fastest goal ever in the League in 10.12 seconds. This record by the FC Bayern Munich player remained unbeaten for over 12 years.
- Borussia Dortmund and Juventus are the only two clubs to win the League on home turf.
- The youngest ever player is Celestine Babayaro who was just 16 years old when he played for Anderlecht.
- Francesco Totti is the oldest player to score and he was 38 years old when he played in the 1-1 Roma draw in 2014 at CSKA Moskva. He beat the previous record-holder which was Ryan Giggs.
Who are the favourites this year?
2 clear teams stick out and these are Bayern Munich and Manchester City. It also looks incredibly likely that both clubs will make the quarterfinals.
Bayern Munich won the German Bundesliga 8 times in a row and have also ensured that Man City’s Leroy Sane was signed. But will they be rested enough by the time the final arrives? Manchester City does have a lead though, from their away leg of 2-1. And let’s not forget that last year’s League was an all-English final. Could that happen again this year?
We are leaning towards Bayern Munich winning though, as they are a more solid bet. And with some good gambling odds around, they are well worth a punt.
Far out choices
Lyon: The French side won 1-0 in their home leg and despite facing tough competition from Juventus, may just have a chance.
Chelsea: A total long shot as they are too busy with the FA Cup final, but if you get high odds and they do win then you’ll be quid’s in. But in our opinion, they are too much of a risk.
Atlanta: One to watch but they do face a tough ride against Paris St. Germain who are currently not in their best shape compared to theses Italians. But if they and Atletico make it through the quarter-finals then you’ll see them with favourable odds to choose from.
The others
You’ll find some low odds on Paris St. Germain and there are many bookies out there well-fancying this French team. If you are thinking of backing the team then keep in mind that these champions are a bit out of shape thanks to Kylian Mbappes injury in the recent French Cup. (Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport)
You might be swayed by the powers of Messi and Ronaldo in their respective teams but don’t be. Juventus and Barcelona both seem at the moment to be open to counter-attacks from the back.
A good choice may be Atletico Madrid. This team showed how fiery they could be when they shoved Liverpool out of the competition with a 3-2 win. Atletico also have a rock-solid manager in the shape of Diego Simeone.
Hopefully, you’re able to take away some useful facts about this year's Champions League, so that you can make an informed choice about who to place your bets on. And we hope that you manage to get lucky with those bets and win some cash!